Valve and screen



March 29, 1949. F. SONNTAG 2,465,404

VALVE AND SCREEN Filed Feb. 20, 1947 Clttornegs Patented Mar. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE AND SCREEN Frank Sonntag, Wenatchee, Wash.

Application February 20, 1947, Serial No. 729,692

2 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to improvements in a valve and screen.

The invention is particularly applicable to sprinkler systems such as are used in irrigation where water is pumped from a suitable source through distributing pipes to a seriesof sprinkler heads. In such devices the water may contain considerable material that, if allowed to flow to the sprinkler heads, would clog or wear them unduly. It is essential, therefore, to have some sort of screen in the liquid distribution system by which the flow of water can be strained to remove the damaging particles. The screen necessarily has to be relatively fine mesh in order to remove fine particles of sand and the like and must, therefore, have a substantial surface exposed to the flow of water in order not to retard the fiow unduly. It is also essential to have the screens s mounted that they can readily be removed and cleaned or replaced without delay. In the valves. where the sprinkling is done, one screen may serve a number of sprinklers and difficulty would arise if there were any outer leakage in the screen mounting when the screen is removed for cleaning and replacement.

According to my invention I provide a combination valve and screen which is so arranged as to ofier a minimum impedance to the flow of water through the pipes. This valve and screen unit is so constructed that the inlet and outlet ports of the valve are both shut off easily to eliminate any flow of liquid while the screen is being cleaned and replaced.

It is also a purpose of myinvention to provide a novel valve and screen combination wherein the valve body is closed at one end by a cap which carries the screen and holds it in operating position. The construction is such that the valve itself and the screen both are removable through one end of the valve body.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particu larity in the claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be understood from the following description of a preferred form of the invention which is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of my improved valve and screen;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the valve and screen illustrating the interior construction thereof;

2 Figure 3 is a detailed view of the screen showing how it is constructed for mounting on the valve cap.

Referring now to the drawings, my invention is embodied in a valve 5, which comprises an elongated cylindrical body with an inlet nipple 6 and outlet nipple 1 formed integrally with the body and directed at an acute angle with respect to the axis of the body. The nipples 6 and l are threaded as indicated at 8 and 9 for connection to pipes l0 and II. The valve body preferably is made of a suitable casting such as, for example, brass.

The body 5 is machined on its interior to provide a chamber i2 in which the valve I3 is fitted. At one end of the body a threaded aperture I4 is provided to receive a packing gland I5. The body 5 has a seat at [6 for a packing ring ll of the gland. A valve stem l8 extends through the gland and is provided with a transverse aperture l9. -An offset portion 20 of the valve l3 also provides space for mounting a second packing ring 2|.

The valve body 5 is threaded as illustrated at 22 at the end opposite the stem [8 to receive a cap 23. The valve 13 extends substantially to the cap 23 leaving a small space 24 between the valve and the cap 23.

The valve l3 has a passage 25 formed therein and adapted when the valve is properly positioned to align with the inlet nipple 6. Beyond passage 25 toward the cap 23 the valve has a cylindrical chamber 26. The valve Wall is cut away at 2'! to form an outlet from the chamber 26 to the nipple I. A shoulder 28 is formed within the valve at the junction of the passage25 and the chamber 26. This shoulder forms a stop for the open end 29 of an elongated screen cup 36. This screen cup has a band 3| of metal at its open end. The other end of the screen is fitted into a depression 32 of the cap 23. This depression is substantially semi-spherical, a flange 33 being formed on the cap to receive the screen and to provide a shoulder at 34 Where the inturned screen wall 35 rests. The screen is attached to the cap 23 by soldering it in place or by some other suitable mounting.

It will be noted that the screen 30 tapers from the open end 29 to the cap 23 and that it is spaced throughout its length from the wall of the chamber 26 so that water flowing through the screen will have ample space to pass around the screen to the outlet nipple I. When the cap 23 is put in place it holds the screen 30 in the chamber 23 and against the shoulder 28 and permits the valve l3 to be turned to bring the passage 25 and the outlet 2'! into or out of alignment with the nipples 6 and 7, respectively. The relative positions of the passage 25 and the outlet El are such as to offer minimum impedance to the flow of water through the valve. The screen will, of course, collect the foreign matter in the water and the foreign matter may be washed toward the depression 32 .so as to interfere asv littleeas possible with'the direct flow of water through the screen. When it is necessary to remove the screen for cleaning or replacement the cap 231s unscrewed by inserting a suitable rod in an opening 36 which is provided in a stem 3'! found; on the cap.

The operator, before removing the screens will give the valve I3 a one-half turnvso'as' to move the passage 25 into position where its inlet end faces, and is sealed by, the wall of the 'shell'5diametrically opposite the nipple 6 and the outlet 21 20 "intoposition to face and be sealed by the wall of the shell 5 diametrically opposite the nipples Band 1, respectively. This effectively seals both-nipples so that liquid will be shut off and cannot escape "'through the valve from either of the pipes I!) or II. "This also permits complete cleaning of-the "interior of the valve l3 so that when the screen *30 is returned to position there will be no escape or foreign matter-to the pipes II.

The construction just described provides a simple effective valve and screen combination'for use in irrigation sprinklers. The operator of the sprinkling system can check the screens and clean them atany time without having a quantity of -w'ater flow out from the discharge or supply pipes. He need not turn off the supply of water to the valve body and as soon as the screen is cleaned and replaced the flow of water is restored by'returning the valve I3 to its operation position.

It is believed that the nature and-advantages: of?

'- my invention will be clearly understood from .the

' foregoing description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A combination valve and screen adapted for =use in irrigation sprinkler systems and the like,"

' comprising an elongated tubular valve body hav- "ing oppositely disposed inlet and outlet nipples thereon, said nipples being spaced apart longitu- 'dinally of the body and directed at an'acute angle "with respect to the axis of the valve body, one end' of saidvalve body being open, the other end thereof being provided with a valve stem opening and Ka packing gland around said opening, a valve rotatable in said body and having a stem'exhtending through said opening and gland, said valve having aninlet passage the 1 inlet end of a-which is at the surface of the valve and in' registration with the'inlet nipple opening through the 1 valve body, said valve having. a cylindrical cham- 4 her into which said passage opens, the chamber being open toward the open end of the valve body and the valve having an outlet opening from the chamber registering with the outlet nipple open- 5 ing, the valve being rotatable in the body to shut off both the inlet and the outlet nipple openings of the body, a closure for the open end of the valve body, and a tubular screen having an open end-seated...in,.the bottom of said chamber and lo-fsurroundingi the discharge end of; said passage, the other end of said screen being seated on said closure.

2. A combination valve and screen adapted for rusezin irrigation sprinkler systems and the like,

, 5 comprisingan elongated tubular valve body having oppositely disposed inlet and outlet nipples rthereon,-said nipples being spaced apart longitudinally of the body, one end of said valve body "being open, the other. end thereof being provided with a valve stem opening, a valve rotatable in saidbody and having astemxextending through said stem opening, said valvehavinganjnlet pas- 0 sage thezinletiendx. of which is.at1the:surface of "zfith'etyalve'and'in registration with the inlet; nipple yppening throughthe valve body, said valvehaving H a" cylindrical rchamberlinto: which said" passage :s-opens;:the chamber being 'open toward the open if end ofv the valve; body andlthe valve having an out- .-.let opening from-the chamber registering with the outletz-nipple. opening of the valve body when the 1: inletipassage registers withthe inlet nipple openrringnthe valve-being rotatable in the body to shut n'oflt bothithe inletzand the outlet nipple openings of ;ithe'body,:said:valve having an annular shoulder aratithezinnerlend of-saidzchamber around the disr chargeend .ofsaid passage, atubular screen havningamopenend seated on the shoulder, and a cap tfthreaded toptheropen end of said body and engag- :ringzthe-other end; of the screen to.hold it against lithe shoulder.

SONNTAG.

;,.REFERENCES CITED Ihefollowing references are of record in'the ?..file of this patent:

1- UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name "Date 6911529 Brophy Jan. 21, 1902 50 1 ,253,576 Coatalen Jan. 15, 1918 2,404,621 Davis July 23, 1946 FOREIGN; PATENTS :wNumber 'Country Date 55 r 13,865 Great Britain Oct. 20, 1884 #164,646 I Great Britain June 16, 1921 281,670 Germany Jan. 20, 1915 322,522 Germany July'2, 1920 1 5387125 i Great Britain -4 Sept. 10, 1941 

